PTI-backed candidates move IHC against NA-47, NA-48 results

Shoaib Shaheen says crimes of past being replayed; 'judiciary only hope'

ISLAMABAD:

PTI backed candidates Shoaib Shaheen and Ali Bukhari filed petitions in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday, challenging the results of constituencies NA-47 and NA-48 respectively.

Speaking to the media outside the IHC, Shoaib Shaheen said, "Today, I and Ali Bukhari have filed petitions. We have requested the registrar's office to schedule an immediate hearing. We urge the chief justice to expedite the case since all of Islamabad knows that NA-47 is my constituency. I have the Form-45. We have won this election with a significant majority."

The PTI-backed independent candidate blamed the powers that be for "pressuring the returning officers." He further added, "Today, you are replaying the crime you committed in the past. Now the only hope left is the judiciary."

According to the results announced a day earlier, independent candidate Raja Khuram Shehzad Nawaz won the election for NA-48 Islamabad-III by securing 69,699 votes.

However, Bukhari claims he was winning the contest according to initial results. He was later announced as the runner-up candidate after receiving 59,851 votes.

A day earlier, Shaheen addressed the media, slamming NA-47 results where PML-N's Tariq Fazal Chaudhry was declared victorious, stating that he would pursue political and legal options.

Expressing concerns about "injustice and oppression against the PTI", he claimed that the nomination papers were unjustly taken away, accusing the Returning Officers (RO) of being "experts in corruption".

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Shaheen stated, "They took away our bat [PTI's electoral symbol]" as he blamed the Supreme Court for the ongoing injustice and tyranny. The PTI-backed candidate asserted, "I had a lead of more than 50,000 votes, my opponents had a total of 40,000 votes polled."

"My votes were added to Tariq's vote list," he alleged.

The PTI candidate said he approached the DCO and the Election Commission by writing applications but received no response. He pointed out that every candidate was supposed to be given Form 45. In questioning the democratic process, he rhetorically asked, "If you don't like someone, will you change their vote?"

"I wasn't behind Tariq in any of the polling station results," stated Shaheen, blaming the ECP for the "indecent" conduct of the election. He also mentioned his willingness to address any reservations against him with the RO.

"There was no need to spend billions. You should have just announced that the ladla (favourite) [PML-N's Nawaz Sharif] is coming into power," Shaheen stated.

Accusing the authorities of "undermining the foundations" and "causing harm to the state", Shaheen declared his intent to "protest and challenge the result". "The people are being denied their basic rights," he said, emphasising that "today's war is not for power but for the survival of the people".

Furthermore, he mentioned, "We had the complete results by 11 PM and we will go to the court to challenge this dishonesty". He claimed that "there has been a change of over 50,000 votes".